The Last Moments
by Fearlee
Summary: These are John Rider's last moments before the plane blew up. It also includes how Ash and Ian felt/reacted to the incident.


**A lot of people write about Ian Rider's last moments as he raced home from the Stormbreaker mission. What about John Rider's last moments on the plane? Here you go.**

**Disclaimer: I really wish I did, but I do not own Alex Rider.**

* * *

John Rider waved as he entered the plane. He cast a glance at his wife, Helen Rider. She still wore a hit of a sad expression for having to leave Alex behind. After all the two had been through in the last months, Helen wanted them together as a family. After all, John had only gotten to hold his son a few times since the business with Scorpia started.

But now they were entering a new life.

John was going to leave MI6 behind for ever. Helen was going to have the home and family she always wanted. Who knows? Maybe Alex would soon have siblings.

Thinking of Alex, John wondered what he would tell his son when he became older. John could speak French well enough so people would actually believe he was born in the country, but Helen didn't. She could speak the language, yet she didn't have the accent.

Alex would want to know why when he grew up. John would tell him that they were from England, but then more questions would follow. Why did we leave? How long were you guys in England? What did you and Mom do?

John pushed the thoughts away. He had years to find plausible answers to those questions. For now, he and his wife were going to find a good home to raise their son in.

Looking out the window, John could see Ash and Ian waving to him. Ian stopped waving for a moment and readjusted the squirming bundle in his arms. John smiled; Alex was certainly going to be a handful growing up. But at least he would grow up carefree and safe from the horrors that nearly cost John his life on numerous occasions.

The engines rumbled to life, and John sat in his seat with a smile. He looked over at Helen and said softly, "Are you happy?" Helen smiled back at him, "I'm still a little sad that Alex won't be coming with us, but otherwise, yes. We're finally going to have a normal life, John! No more going on missions and coming back hurt. No more wondering if you're not going to make it home. No more living in fear if someone comes after Alex to get revenge on you…"

John kissed Helen and whispered, "Everything is going to turn out great." The plane began to move, and they both turned towards the window. The last thing that John and Helen Rider saw was their son in Ian's arms.

Then the explosion ripped the plan apart.

* * *

Ash felt terrible. He put on a face of utter shock so Ian wouldn't suspect anything.

But it didn't matter.

Ian's attention was completely focused on the burning plane. He took a step forward as if to run to his brother's aid, but then he stopped. Ash couldn't see his expression, yet he knew that horror would be running rampant through the man's body.

The fire crackled loudly, and sirens began to sound.

Ash knew that no one had survived. The bomb had been placed so the blast would touch everything. John and Helen Rider were dead, and Ash now had a job with Scorpia.

* * *

Ian couldn't help the involuntary step forward.

The heat soon forced him back, but the horror and pain was flourishing. His brother was gone. In just the blink of an eye, he would never see his brother's warming smile or hear his booming laughter again. He would never see Helen's teasing eyes when she scolded him for eating the turkey too early on Christmas or feel her hug him when he came home from a mission.

Ian felt tears welling up, but he quickly choked them back.

Crying wouldn't bring back his brother or his sister-in-law.

Ash put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Ian glanced at him and saw a shocked and pained expression on his face. _"It must be hard, especially since John just saved his life."_ He thought in the back of his mind.

But he quickly discarded all thoughts of Ash.

Ian looked down at the child in his arms.

Alex wasn't squirming or even crying. Ian thought this was odd, because the explosion was loud and the poor kid had an ear infection.

Instead, Alex was staring at the flames that had consumed his parents. He didn't know this, of course, but he was still looking at the fire in a strange way. A pair of brown eyes that looked exactly like his father's looked up at Ian.

It was almost as if he was asking what happened.

Ian hugged his nephew closer to his chest. He knew that he now had to take care of Alex for the rest of his life. The new housekeeper that he hired, Jack Starbright, would help with raising Alex.

Later, on the car ride home, Ian would be thankful for hiring the woman because he realized that he didn't really have a good idea on how to raise such a young child.

But for now, all Ian Rider could do was stare at the burning wreckage with little Alex resting in his arms.

* * *

** I know that I've written much brighter stuff than this story, but the idea just popped into my head. Flames or praise: all is appreciated. And I know that I've told some of you I've been thinking of writing a whole stream of one-shots called, "Never...in the SAS." In which I would come up with a bunch of crazy stuff that Cub and K-unit shouldn't do. Well, I'm plumb out of ideas. If you have any, enlighten me! :) Thanks for reading!**


End file.
